Speech by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and Chairman of the Perak DAP “Defend Four Win Six’ Special Task Force, Lim Kit Siang, at the second meeting of the Perak DAP “Defend Four Win Six” Special Task Force held at Perak DAP Hqrs in Ipoh on Tuesday, 17th April 1990 at 8 p.m.
MCA is building its entire strategy for the next general elections on the big lie that the DAP wants to create an Islamic State by co-operating with PAS
The DAP has established the Perak DAP ‘Defend Four Win Six’ Special Task Force to defend the existing four Parliamentary seats of Ipoh, Pasir Pinji, Kampar and Batu Gajah and to win another six parliamentary seats, namely Sungei Siput, Bruas, Lumut, Taiping, Gopeng and Teluk Intan in the next general elections.
The DAP wants to win 10 Parliamentary seats in Perak in the next general elections, so that the people of Perak can not only fully participate, but provide a vital impetus, to the national movement for political change that is gathering increasing momentum and support in the country.
Kit Siang Chairman and Lam Thye Deputy Chairman of Special Task Force
In the strategy of the Perak DAP “Defend 4- Win 6’ Special Task Force, equal emphasis will be given to defending the parliamentary and State Assembly seats currently held by DAP, as well as to attack and win the six Parliamentary seats now held by the MCA, Gerakan and MIC.
DAP Deputy Secretary-General, Sdr. Lee Lam Thye, will be specially responsible for the first limb of the Special Task Force, i.e. Defend Four, while I will concentrate on the second limb, i.e. Win Six.
Sdr. Lee Lam Thye will be announcing his programme of visits to the four DAP parliamentary constituencies as well as the 13 DAP State Assembly constituencies.
I will also finalise my visits to the six Parliamentary constituencies we want to wrest from the MCA, Gerakan and MIC in the next general elections.
The Perak DAP ‘Defend Four Win Six’ Special Task Force will comprise all Perak State Committee members, all Perak DAP MPs and Assemblymen, and other appointed from time to time, and will have as its principal officials:
Chairman : Lim Kit Siang
Deputy Chairmen : Lee Lam Thye
Lau Dak Kee
Vice Chairmen : Dr. Kong Cheok Seng
Mohamed Asri bin Othman
Loh Jee Mee
Secretary : P. Patto
Treasurer : Ngoi Thiam Who
The establishment and composition of the Perak DAP ‘Defend Four Win Six’ Special Task Force reflects the importance the DAP Central Executive Committee places on Perak in the next general elections
If DAP works with 46, and 46 works with PAS means DAP works with PAS, why it could’nt mean PAS agreeing with DAP to give up Islamic State?
The Perak DAP ‘D4 W6’ Special Task Force will have to formulate, the entire strategy to achieve its objective, encompassing political, organisational, publicity and all other election preparations.
Undoubtedly, one of its greatest challenges is how to counter the MCA strategy for the next general elections. For the first time in its 41-year party history, the MCA national leadership is building its entire general elections strategy on one big lie: that the DAP wants to create an Islamic State by co-operating with PAS.
MCA national leaders, like its President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik and its Deputy President, Datuk Lee Kim Sai, are going round the country with only one theme: that the DAP wants to bring about an Islamic State in Malaysia together with PAS.
MCA national leaders refused to hear the clear and unequivocal denials of the DAP about any co-operation with PAS, or the DAP’s clear and uncompromising stand in opposing an Islamic State.
Liong Sik and Kim Sai continues to go round the country to sat that as DAP is co-operating with Parti Semangat 46, and Parti Semangat 46 is co-operating with PAS, therefore DAP is co-operating with PAS. And as PAS wants to establish an Islamic State, DAP also wants to create an Islamic State by co-operating with PAS.
There are actually double errors in this MCA argument. There is firstly, the error of fact, for the DAP is not co-operating with PAS, directly or indirectly.
There is secondly the error in logic. Using the MCA argument for a moment, that as DAP workers with Semangat 46, and Semangat 46 works with PAS, therefore DAP is also working with PAS. Even if we go this far (which DAP has declared is nonsense and untrue), there is no need to reach that MCA conclusion that this must mean that the DAP is working with PAS to create an Islamic State.
Why can’t it be that as DAP is working with Semangat 46, and Semangat 46 is working with PAS, this means that PAS is working with DAP to ensure that there will be no Islamic State in Malaysia?
I am prepared to concede that if DAP is led by Liong Sik and Kim Sai, then this is impossible, but the DAP is not led by the present MCA leaders. After all, DAP has at present 24 MPs and PAS only one MP, and the likelihood should be PAS following DAP rather than DAP following PAS.
We must be aware that UMNO leaders are now telling the Malay ground that PAS is working with Semangat 46, and Semangat is working with DAP, and this means that PAS is co-operating with DAP to gove up the Islamic State struggle.
Of course, such an equation is baseless and untrue, for there is just no such relationship, direct or indirect, between the DAP and PAS.
But the arguments of the MCA leaders, like Liong Sik and Kim Sai, throws an revealing light on their political thinking and political methods of operation.
As far as the MCA leaders are concerned, when they work with other political parties, like their relationship with UMNO, they readily surrender their identity, political principles and party objectives.
This is why MCA leaders assume that when the DAP co-operates with another political party, the DAP leaders must act in precisely the same manner as MCA leaders, which is betray their political principles and ideals!
MCA leaders can never imagine that if DAP should ever co-operate with PAS, whether directly or indirectly, it will be on the clear understanding that PAS cannot impose its concept of an Islamic State on non-Muslim Malaysians.
MCA leaders have been so ‘cultured’ to have the political will and ideas of others imposed on them, that they could not think of any other form of political relationship between different political parties and groups.
MCA had been part of an unequal political relationship for so long that its leaders can never imagine of an equal and honourable political relationship between different political parties.
This is why the Dr. Ling Liong Sik’s greatest and proudest achievement as MCA President was that the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed’s ‘anger has faded’, and not what he has achieved to fulfil the catalogue of broken promises and unfulfilled pledges by the Barisan Nasional to the Chinese community. It is also no wonder that Lee Kim Sai’s proudest moment as Deputy MCA President is that he is made a Datuk again!
DAP made clear to Semangat 46 at four-hour meeting yesterday our uncompromising stand opposing Islamic State
Unlike the MCA leaders, the DAP mean what we say and we say what we mean. At the four-hour meeting between top leaders of Parti Semangat 46 and DAP in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the DAP made it very clear that our opposition to an Islamic State concept for Malaysia is uncompromising and non-negotiable.
For MCA Ministers and leaders, anything is negotiable and bargainable. The DAP leaders do not operate like the MCA leaders. We have clear political ideals, beliefs and objectives for which we are prepared to lost out liberty and suffer detention under the Internal Security Act.
MCA leaders “play politics”, DAP leaders dedicate their life to politics
Last week, I was asked what is the difference between the DAP and MCA leaders. I pointed to the statement made by the former MCA Youth leader, Datuk Kee Yong Wee, when he was released from Kajang prisons on 29th March after serving his sentence for criminal breach of trust offences. Yong Wee vowed that he would not “play politics” any more.
When DAP leaders were released from detention, they invariable declared that they would continue to dedicate themselves to the political cause they believe in and which the people support. They mever talked about atop “playing with politics”, for DAP leaders do not “play politics: but dedicate their life to politics!
In the next elections, we must ask the people whether they want to put their trust and the future of their children in the hands of MCA leaders who “play politics”, and who are more interested in Ministerial positions and money-making opportunities, or with the DAP leaders, who dedicate themselves to politics, to seek the betterment of the life of all Malaysians rather for personal office or enrichment.